long as there is one black child who understands and is taught about the life of king, we will make america right in spite of itself. >> i have a theory that what we write about chooses you more than you choose him -- just like -- i feel that it's choseen. his locale. his people. it's in his blood. >> charlie: it's in my blood too. that's exactly where i'm from. i know the character. >> i'm sure you do. i'sure you do. >> charlie: the drunks and the sober ones both. >> that's right. >> charlie: lauren county. >> and i have never had any choice about it. i just -- instinctively, this is what my imagination goes towards. for good or bad, that's where i am. >> charlie: is being a writer the same thing? it chooses you? >> in my case, it certainly is. it certainly -- i was chosen, in a way, yeah. i didn't have any conscious -- i wanted to be an actor so bad, i can't tell you, and then one day, it just -- the gears began to shift. >> charlie: and you wanted to be a playwright? >> i wanted to be a playwright in the worst kind of way. i had no training. i hadn't even gone to college. i really had to